Garden Clubs Australiacouple visits Gunnedah

Gunnedah Garden Club members Lyn Sanson and Shirley Palmer enjoyed the opportunity to catch up with Garden Clubs Australia (GCA) treasurer Mike Abberfield and his wife, Colleen, during a social meeting at The Yard in late August.

Mike and Colleen were passing through Gunnedah on their way to Tamworth to visit family and catch up with zone coordinator Sandra Holmes.

The couple had come to the region following the Coonabarabran Flower Show, where Mike was guest judge. Although it had been several years since he had judged flowers, Mike brushed up on his skills before taking on the role.

Mike and Colleen are also members of the Toronto and District Garden Club, which currently has around 90 members, providing plenty of common ground for discussion with the Gunnedah Garden Club representatives.

One of the topics discussed was the challenge many garden clubs face in attracting younger members. With people juggling work, family commitments and increasingly busy lifestyles, finding time to become involved in community groups can be difficult.

The Gunnedah Garden Club is always keen to find interesting garden-focused guest speakers, and Mike was able to offer some helpful suggestions based on his experience with other clubs.

The group also discussed the annual GCA photo competition and the Ann Williams Medallion, which recognises a worthy recipient for their ongoing contribution to their garden club.

Like many community organisations, GCA is also embracing the digital age. Mike encouraged the Gunnedah Garden Club to share some of its news through the organisation’s Facebook page and spoke about the benefits of using Zoom for meetings.

For garden clubs, online meetings can help reduce the time, travel and expense involved in getting members together, particularly when participants are spread across different areas.

Before leaving town, Mike and Colleen also called into The Civic to view the art and ceramic display, where Mike’s sister had exhibited some of her pottery.

The Gunnedah Garden Club members said it was a pleasure to meet Mike and Colleen over a cup of coffee and exchange ideas about gardening and the future of garden clubs.

Mike is looking forward to returning to Gunnedah when the Gunnedah Garden Club next has a special occasion to celebrate.